HOCKEY REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK – PRO SIGNINGS
By: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – Much to empty from the Reporter’s Notebook as the off-season pro hockey signings continue but slow down as the dog days of summer approach.
EX-HARTFORD WOLF PACK PLAYERS SIGNING
After playing for three European teams last year, ex-Hartford Wolf Pack Aaron Luchuk signs with Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL) for next year.
Goalie Keith Kinkaid signs with the now-independent Chicago Wolves for next season.
Ex-Pack goalie François Brassard leaves Maine (ECHL)/ Providence (AHL) and signs with Ft. Wayne (ECHL) for 2023-24.
And another Ex-Pack of one season, Mike Lee (Hamden), re-signs with HC Nove Zamsky (Slovakia-SLEL) for the 2023-24 season.
OTHER CONNECTICUT RELATED PLAYERS
Rick Kowalsky, who has coached since 2005, was named the new Bridgeport Islanders head coach. Kowalsky has spent the last two seasons in Bridgeport with ex-Pack Brent Thompson, who departed and heads to the Anaheim Ducks as their new assistant coach for their new head coach, and former Sound Tigers head coach, Greg Cronin.
Ex-Sound Tiger Oliver Wahlstrom re-signs with the New York Islanders.
Ross Colton (Taft School), who was just traded to the Colorado Avalanche, re-signs with Colorado (NHL) for next year.
HARTFORD WHALERS DAY
The Hartford Yard Goats hosted the Hartford Whalers Weekend at Dunkin Donuts Park this past weekend. Some sons and daughters of the ex-Whalers are involved in coaching, management, and scouting levels in hockey.
Sydney Daniels, the daughter of Scott “Chief” Daniels, has left the scandal-plagued Harvard University (ECACHL-W) program. She is about to start her second year as the US college scout for the Winnipeg Jets, where she covers ECAC and Hockey East.
Stew Gavin made his first appearance at Whaler Day. His son Max is an assistant coach for Dartmouth College, having just completed his first season.
Kevin Dineen’s son, Will Dineen, just completed his freshmen season at Yale University (ECACHL).
The nephew ex-Whaler Mickie (Mike) Volcan, Nolan Volcan, graduates from Canadian college hockey and the University Alberta Golden Bears (CWUAA) and signs his first pro deal with the legendary Ft. Wayne Komets (ECHL).
Sutter Muzzatti, the son of ex-Whaler/Wolf Pack Jason Muzzatti, now the goalie coach with the Carolina Hurricanes, is off to RPI (ECACHL) in the fall. He was drafted last month by the hometown host city, Nashville Predators.
Dominic Turgeon, the nephew of ex-Whaler, Sylvain Turgeon and the son of soon-to-be hockey Hall of Famer Pierre Turgeon, leaves Ässät Pori (Finland-FEL) and signs with Södertälje SK (Sweden-Allsvenskan) for the 2023-24 season.
JOEY HADDAD
The Cape Breton Eagles (QMJHL) announced that ex-Sound Tiger Joey Haddad was named the hockey club’s new Assistant General Manager of Business Operations & Brand Ambassador.
After retiring from playing, Haddad spent last year as the head coach of the Sydney Mitsubishi Rush U-18 of the Nova Scotia Major Hockey League (NSMHL).
By marriage, Haddad is the younger first cousin of former New Haven Blade/Nighthawk tough guy and NHL defenseman of the 1970s and early 80s, Kevin Morrison. They’re part of a tight-knit hockey community of players of Middle Eastern descent known as the “Gaza Strip” in Sydney.
ODDS AND ENDS
Brady and Owen Schultz of Monroe, Connecticut, are the grandsons of ex-Whaler Norm Barnes. They are playing at different levels of junior hockey. Brady went undrafted and is about to start his third year in the Canadian Maritimes in major junior with the Halifax (Nova Scotia) Mooseheads (QMJHL). Owen is skating with the Northern Cyclones (Hudson, NH) (THF).
The AHL’s players moving on to Europe have risen to 60. The latest three are Kohen Olischeski of the Rochester Americans heads to Düsseldorfer EG (Germany-DEL), Alexsei Heponiemi of the Charlotte Checkers heads next door to EHC Biel/Bienne (Switzerland-LNA), and Spencer Foo leaves the Henderson Silver Knights for Kunlun (China-KHL).
The college-to-pro signings have slowed down. Per conference, the breakdown goes; Hockey East and the NCHC with 37. CCHA has 31. The Big Ten has 29, with the ECACHL having 24, the AHA at 20, and Independents with 13. Division III signings are 32, and Europe (Division I & III) is 49.
Canadian colleges have three players going back and heading to American Juniors two. None yet are headed to Canadian major junior.
Undergrads going pro early is 37, grad transfers are 44, and in-school transfers are 57.
